Potato peelings and piggies, reassurance needed.

DH and the kids have fed a handful of potato peelings to our three piggies, which apparantley they fought over and ate with gusto. I thought potato peelings were on the No list, and a quick google has got me in a panic as I've found several hits saying that potato peelings will kill them. Am more than a little worried about them now

I'm not sure how much is needed to make them ill. But yes , they are highly toxic off what I've read. Make sure they have lots of water, and hope it flushes it out of their system. I doubt a trip to the vets would be any help. Unless you have a specialist near by to ring ?

Potato peelings are on the no-no list and you would think that a healthy well fed animal would know what's not good for them ,wouldn't you (I apply this theory when my boys are on the lawn and try to put their ground sheets over any buttercup stray bits)

It's mainly the green which is toxic- so any leaves, sprouts or green skin. Hopefully a handful between 3 of them wouldn't amount to too much peel per pig.

As an emergency measure can you give them something to 'dilute' it? Bulky food that they like? Hay, grass, carrot, mashed up pellets with water- anything they'll happily eat.

Keep a check out for:tremors, convulsions, lethargy, dribbling, loose/liquid pooh.Fingers crossed, keep a check on them.Have you got a vet you could phone for advice? Do they have an Out of Hours Service.

Oh dear, keeping my fingers crossed for you that your piggies will be lucky. Guinea pigs are unable to vomit, so what goes in just has to work its way out naturally.

Potato is on the forbidden list and I've checked with RWA site so is cooked potato. Cooked potato with bran is now considered outdated, so also on the banned list. Just throwing that in, in case old time piggie owners are reading.

Thanks for the advice. Sorry I've not replied sooner, but I had to go to work! DGH kept an eye on them this evening and they've had loads of carrots and water. They are running around squeeeing happily at a fresh bunch of hay, and look absolutely fine, no loose poo that I can see.

Lesson learnt though. DH said he was going on the "piggies and potato are both south american so they must be ok to eat them" principal...silly man!

piggies and potatos are both South American... I can see the connection though

I was reading a site a while back and it said GP wouldn't in their natural environment eat root veg like carrots, parsnips or turnips (though I can see the case against the turnip because my GP2 was really vom<-- after Easter veg peelings.

I had a similar aarrghh incident a few weeks back when I was browsing in the herb aisle . I usually stick with parsley curled or flat. They can't have coriander (makes them fighty) and they don't like basil or mint. Rosemary seems very strong smelling.

So I saw SORRELL . Hmm. Nice leaves. Try that, one of those growing plants.Gave them a couple of leaves.Then I was searching and found all the sites saying no sorrell.

I don't know if it's a weed as well as a herb though. It looks different on the Google images. And in the USA they use different names.

I thought I'd poisoned the poor little souls. Luckily, they were ok. <<Phew>>

Best thing I reckon is print off a guinea-list. It's handy too because some things are only meant to be two or three times a week. Some you can give daily.And it might be that your DH will see veg when he's out and buy it for the pigs (especially good for 'luxury' veg reduced that you wouldn't usually buy.